Earlier in the Winter, Wolf Tooth sent us their ReMote lever, meant for converting hydraulic RockShox Reverb seat posts, to a cable actuated system. The kit comes in at a price point of $99.95 USD, including the cable/housing, lever, and a fitment piece that secures to the bottom of your current post.
First Impressions
Immediately evident out of the box is the high quality construction, and attention to detail by Wolf Tooth. With a shiny black anodized finish, criss-cross texture on the lever, and precision CNC lines, we were impressed by the look of it.
Assembly is quite straight forward, Wolf Tooth claims it can be done in 15 minutes, if it’s your first go, it may take a bit longer. We installed the lever on our internally routed 170mm Reverb. It’s possible that an partially externally routed post might shave off some install time.
Specs
- Material – 6061 T6 Aluminum with Delrin Axle and pusher
- Mounting Types available:
- ReMote IS-AB for Shimano works for some Hope Brakes.
- ReMote IS-AB for Shimano I-Spec A or B – Includes IS-AB Hardware
- ReMote IS-II for Shimano I-Spec II – Includes IS-II Hardware
- ReMote MM SRAM/Avid MatchMaker X – Includes the MatchMakerX hardware, which is a T-Nut and bolt that allows the ReMote MM to attach to the MatchMakeX clamp.
- ReMote 22.2mm – includes hinged handlebar clamp for 22.2mm handlebars
- Color – Black
- Weight: Lever: Shimano IS-AB – 31g, Shimano IS-II – 33g, SRAM MM – 42g, 22 (hinged clamp) – 36g Pusher and Base: 4g
First Ride
Our first ride on the Wolf Tooth ReMote took a bit to get used to. Coming from a more ‘button’ style lever, the shifter-esque remote was a change, but for the better after getting used to it. The lever feels good against the contour of your thumb, and the texturized surface is a welcome addition. At the end of our first day on the bike, we were hiking up and over a log that had fallen mid trail, and slipped, putting pressure on the lever while trying to find balance. The lever body snapped off the bar mount, due to Wolf Tooth’s genius breakaway axle pivot. There is a small plastic piece that sits in contact between the lever and bar mount, it’s meant to snap off in the event of a crash or mishap in order to save the entire assembly from bending or breaking. We were able to very easily replace the small plastic axle, which Wolf Tooth sells online for $4.95.
In our particular case, due our bike’s seat tube length, combined with our massive 170mm travel dropper, we found the peak of the post height to still be too high, even with Wold Tooth’s claimed ’40mm (1 5/8in) reduction of in-frame height when compared to Connectamajig-equipped Reverbs’. When we extend our post up for a climb, we have to sit down to lower it around 20mm to a comfortable level, though this isn’t a fault of Wolf Tooth, we felt it’s worth noting that you should still be aware of your seat post length to seat tube length ratio if considering buying the ReMote and a new seatpost at the same time.
Conclusion
We have been satisfied with the action of the Wolf Tooth ReMote, and enjoy the cable actuated simplicity. With a robust and smart construction, plus a straightforward installation, we’d recommend this lever to anyone, wanting smoother dropper action and better lever ergonomics. Last but not least, if you’re tired of bleeding hydraulic lines and dealing with their less than ideal cold weather performance, this would be a smart upgrade.
